Moon Magic
by Naureen97
Summary: The Golden Trio is sent into hiding after the Battle of Hogwarts. What better place to send Hermione than Forks, Washington? She is to live with a squib Charlie Swan and pretend to be his daughter Bella. "It's perfectly safe," Kingsley said to her, "You have handled much worse, my dear." Famous last words.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello and welcome to my first Twilight/HP crossover. Let's all pretend the two stories took place at about the same time. My story takes place right after Deathly Hallows (excluding the Epilogue) and before the events of Twilight. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.**

* * *

"You wanted to see us, Kingsley?" Hermione inquired as her, Harry and Ron stepped into the Minister of Magic's office. The man looked absolutely exhausted with dark bags under his eyes. Hermione understood. Kingsley was trying to bring order into the Wizarding World again which was hard enough without every Ministry officer trying to chime in with their opinions in what needs to change.

"How is everything, Kingsley?" Harry asked. Hermione felt bad for her best friend too; as bad as it was for her and Ron, it was twice as bad for Harry. He didn't get a moment of peace since the Battle; there were media reporters at every corner.

"I'm sure you three have heard of the rumors dealing with the dark wizard accusations," Kingsley Shacklebolt started. Hermione nodded along with the two guys. Currently there were accusations flying everywhere about Ministry officials being affiliated with dark wizards.

"Are you saying the rumors could be true?" Hermione asked concerned.

"I'm saying we cannot root out any possibilities," Kingsley replied.

"How can we help?" Harry asked.

"No, Harry, you three have done enough as it is. If there _are_ any death eaters still working within the Ministry, I know they will come after you three first chance they get," Kingsley said.

"We took down an army of death eaters Kingsley, we can handle a few more," Ron said trying to sound confident. Hermione could see through it of-course, poor Ron was terrified inside. And after Fred's death, it had been hard for him to go back to the Burrow. She and Ron had called a relationship off; there was too much going on in their lives right now.

"That is what I wanted to talk to you about. I don't want you three anywhere near the Wizarding World these next few months." Kingsley told them.

"Wait, what are you saying?" Hermione asked though she had already suspected it.

"I have arranged places for you to stay until things cool down a bit," Kingsley replied. Hermione thought as much. She was talking about this just the other day with McGonagall who also thought they should go into hiding.

"You can't be serious!" Ron exclaimed.

"You want us to leave?" Harry asked. Hermione understood his concern, there was no denying she wanted to leave but there was so much to be done. Hogwarts needed to be repaired, there were Death Eaters on the loose, there were people in need of reassurance, there was just an endless amount of work to do and leaving now seemed cowardly.

Kingsley seemed to have known what her thoughts were, "You three have really done enough. It's time to rest a little, alright? Enjoy your youth while you still have it."

Harry gave a chuckle, "Kingsley, I think we lost that a long time ago." Hermione agreed completely.

"No matter, I'm sending you three into hiding," when Ron started to speak, Kingsley beat him to it. "No arguments. It is final."

Hermione thought it over; maybe it will be a nice change to get away for a little while. And it wasn't like the Minister was giving them a choice. "Where are you planning on sending us?" she asked.

"I'm sending you three to three different locations, all in the United States."

Oh, she had always wanted to go to the United States. Her parents had planned on it but they had never gotten the chance to; she's always been busy. Especially with all the chaos that happened every year at Hogwarts. Thinking about her parents these days only saddened her. She hadn't fixed their memories yet, not with danger still lurking. "Why to different locations?" she asked, trying to divert her mind.

"I thought it would be better to keep you separated for a while. Too many wizards at one place might cause disruptions."

"Disruptions?" Harry asked, "What do you mean?"

"The places I'm sending you have other magical creatures; some of whom may not like too many wizards in their domain."

"What other magical creatures?" Hermione asked, curious. "Will it be safe?"

"So you agree to go?"

Hermione looked to her sides to her two best friends, both of whom were waiting for her to decide. She smiled inwardly, she loved them both to death, she really did. And stepping away from all this for a few months could do them a lot of good. And anyways, they were both dying to get away from here as it was. "I think we should," she said. They nodded in agreement, relieved.

Kingsley gave a small smile, "Thank you." he said. He started assigning the places where they would be staying. Harry: a small town in Georgia where there is a clan of old fashioned sorcerers. If that news frightened Harry, he didn't show it. Ron: a city in the state of Idaho with dragon trainers who also farm potatoes.

Ron's response was: "What?! What will I do, sit and eat potatoes all day? They aren't even good to eat." They pretty much ignored him.

"And Hermione, you will be staying in a small town in Washington named Forks with a squib named Charlie Swan. There is a coven of Draekanae there, though they like to call themselves "vampires". Don't worry though, they only drink animal blood. And also a tribe of shape-shifting wolves who call themselves "werewolves".

"Bloody hell, Kingsley, don't send her off to a circus!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione shook her head. "Language, Ronald."

"What kind of name is Forks for a city anyway?"

Harry smiled. "Let it go, mate."

"It's perfectly safe," Kingsley said to her, "You have handled much worse, my dear."

* * *

They talked everything out. The three of them will have their fireplaces connected by a private floo network and will keep in touch. They could also meet up at the American Wizarding World. There was a passageway there from the city of Portland which was near Forks.

Hermione set her story set. Kingsley informed her that Charlie Swan had a daughter about her age named Bella and that they looked very much alike. Hermione would pretend to be Bella Swan so the neighbors don't ask too many questions. This was actually kind of exciting. She had never seen Draekanae up close before, especially not ones who drink animal blood.

Kingsley scheduled for them to meet him the day after and the Golden Trio went off to pack whatever little belonging they have. Hermione charmed the boys' bags like she had done with her beaded purse to hold whatever they put in them.

"Thanks, 'Mione!" Harry said, giving her a hug. "Be careful, alright?"

"You too, Harry," she told him.

She went and gave Ron a hug too, "Stay safe. Merlin knows how you two would survive without me," she teased.

They both smiled. They said their goodbyes and the boys left.

Hermione inwardly sighed. A new chapter begins.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all for reading. I hope you keep at it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.**

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Professor McGonagall came by to say goodbye the day of the departure and made sure to give the three of them a charm that automatically converted their British accents to American accents. Hermione's charm was a necklace shaped like an owl, "You know what they say, owl's just ooze of wisdom." She said. Hermione thanked her and assured her that she would be very careful.

Instead of traveling directly to the house by floo, Hermione apparated to the airport in Portland, Washington. She didn't want to take any chances with landing in someone else's floo network and she felt more comfortable apparating places anyway. She's had way more practice than a normal witch her age. Kingsley had given her a picture of Charlie Swan so she could recognize him when she saw the man. She also made him promise to keep updating her with news of the death eater hunt. "And if you need any help, I will just be a floo away," she told him.

"I will, Hermione. Now go."

She was looking around the bustling airport when she noticed his figure waiting in a corner. He was a fairly tall man with a broad built; his brown hair was a shade lighter than Hermione's. He actually looked a little like her father. A deep breath, that's a bad train of thought. She started towards Charlie; he spotted her before she reached him.

"You must be Miss Hermione Granger, it's a pleasure," he said kindly shaking her hand.

"And you must be Mr. Swan," Hermione replied giving him a warm smile. He seemed like a very nice person.

"Please call me Charlie," he said. He glanced behind her, "Did you not bring any luggage?" he asked.

Hermione pointed to her purse, "Got everything right here," she said, "the purse is charmed to hold as many things as possible."

"Oh, of-course," Charlie said. Hermione couldn't help but notice his sad look, she knew how hard it was for squibs to know their entire family except them could perform magic. "Well, that's hardly fair. I can't offer to carry your bags now," he said jokingly.

Hermione gave a small laugh, "Maybe next time," she said.

"Come on then, my car's parked right out in front."

* * *

The car ride to Charlie's house took about half an hour. He started asking her about things back home but instead Hermione kept diverting the topic to other things. Charlie seemed to have understood and didn't inquire further. He changed the topic to school.

"Going to school isn't required of course, I could always tell everyone you were home-schooled and finished schooling early or that you are taking online classes. There is however a muggle high school close to our house in which you are welcome to enroll," he told her.

Hermione had already decided this though. If there was one thing that would keep her sane in the middle of all this it was going to school and he told Charlie as much. Charlie chuckled, "You miss are nothing like my Bella. She hates the idea of school."

Hermione asked about the clan of Draekanae who lived here. "Oh, the Cullen clan? They've been here for almost a year now. They're harmless as far as their breed go. They've trained themselves to live among humans. The clan leader, Carlisle, he is actually the town's doctor."

"Seriously?" Hermione was very impressed. It was one thing to drink animal blood but to be a doctor among humans deserved a lot of credit. "That's fascinating."

"The kids go to the high school too," Charlie continued. "You'll see them when you're there."

"Do the Cullens know about the Wizarding World?" Hermione asked. Generally only traditional vampires had common knowledge of wizards. Any other vampire breeds like the Draekanae or Draculae usually did not know about them.

"I don't think so. They might suspect there are other magical creatures but they don't have any specific knowledge about your kind."

Hermione nodded. She noticed how Charlie said _your_ kind as in he didn't belong with the Wizarding World. Well, it wasn't like wizards treated squibs very well. Muggleborn or not, at-least Hermione had magic. She couldn't imagine what it was like to watch your whole family perform magic when you couldn't do it yourself.

Soon they reached the house. Charlie showed her the bedroom she would be living in. "It's a little small," he said. "It used to be Bella's but she hasn't visited in years."

"It's lovely," Hermione said. "Thank you."

Charlie nodded. "School has already started but there's no rush. You can start whenever you want to."

"No, no, I can start as soon as possible. I need something to keep my mind off things anyway."

Charlie gave her shoulder a pat of reassurance, "I'll go call the school administration."

* * *

Before going to sleep, Hermione called Harry and Ron on the floo powder to see how they were doing. The clan of sorcerers Harry was staying with was better than he expected. Two of the sorcerers turned out to be five year old girls who became obsessed with Harry the moment they saw him. Hermione thought it was adorable. And Ron was taking his situation with surprising calm.

"I'm going to die out here 'Mione! I am seriously going to die! I think I'd rather face Aragog!"

Yes, surprisingly well. She bid them both goodnight and fell asleep early. She had school tomorrow after all.

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 **Reviews?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.**

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The next day, Hermione woke up earlier than she needed to and started rechecking everything. It helped her keep her mind averted. She had run out of her Dreamless Sleep potion and had woken up screaming. The nightmares hadn't stopped since the night of the war. Sometimes it was her parents being tortured in Malfoy Manor, sometimes Harry and Ron killed by Nagini, once she saw the entire Weasley family lying motionless in the Great Hall like Fred had been when he died. This time she saw her Mum crouched down in front of Bellatrix as if begging for mercy. Fortunately she remembered to put a _muffliato_ spell in the room before going to sleep so as to not wake Charlie. She would have to make some more of the potion soon. She had had two bottles of it left before travelling here but ended up giving them to Harry and Ron; she doubted they could make some on their own.

She transformed her beaded handbag to look like a school bag. It wasn't necessary to take all her things, she knew, but being overly prepared never harmed anyone. After she was sure she had everything, she went and took a quick shower.

In the kitchen, she made herself a cup of herbal tea. Her mother had taught her how to make it; it was strange, when she was younger she couldn't stand the taste of the stuff but now she couldn't go a day without having a cup. She glanced out the window; the day looked gloomy. Charlie had informed her that Forks was one of the rainiest cities in the United States. Growing up in London she was in no way a stranger to rain though sunny weather _did_ always brightened her mood. It made sense really, the Cullens wouldn't have chosen this place if the weather had been mostly sunny.

She could hear Charlie's footsteps coming down the stairs. "Good morning Charlie," she greeted as he came into the kitchen.

"Good morning Hermione," he said kindly, "did you sleep well?"

She gave him what she thought was a reassuring smile, "I did, thank you." Charlie smiled back but didn't comment. Hermione was glad he didn't pry, he seemed to be very perceptive.

"So, I have something for you," he said, changing the subject.

"You do?" Hermione asked, a little astonished. He told her to wait in the kitchen for a second before disappearing up the stairs and coming back with a small box. He took her to the front yard and Hermione instantly spotted the red truck parked in the driveway. She was touched, "you didn't have to do that," she said as Charlie handed her the box containing the car keys.

"You _can_ drive, right? I know most magic families don't really need to".

Hermione assured him that indeed she did. Her dad had started teaching her the summer after she turned fifteen even though the legal driving age in London was seventeen. She remembered what he said before taking her out the first time, "Who knows where you'll be in two years what with that world of yours. It's now or never." She was almost teary eyed.

"Do you like it?" Charlie asked.

"I love it. Thank you." Charlie gave a proud smile and Hermione couldn't help but compare him to her father who would also smiled like that when he got her something she liked. "Where did you get it? I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"No, no, of-course not. My friend Billy lives in the La Push reservation, he sold it to me for very cheap."

Hermione thanked him again.

"Don't mention it alright, Hermione. Now, do you have the directions for Forks High School?"

"I saw the map yesterday, I'm sure I can find my way."

"Good luck today, okay? Make sure to respond to the name Bella."

"I will." If he saw her hesitate, he didn't say anything. The name Bella only brought her painful memories of the _Cruciatus_ curse.

She took a deep breath, she could do this.

* * *

The truck ran better than she expected, the engine sounded healthy enough. It was drizzling outside but not so much rain that she couldn't see the town buildings. Everything looked so small and common, the Wizarding World really spoiled her taste. She missed Diagon Alley, the lively and cheerful Diagon Alley she had fell in love with the first time she went to visit when she was eleven, the Diagon Alley before the Death Eaters had gone and destroyed everything.

Once she pulled over to the school parking lot, she sensed the stares right away. She knew it was a small school so it was expected that people were curious. Once upon a time, people staring at her might have bothered her but being a third of the Golden Trio had made her quite accustomed to these situations now. She looked for an empty parking spot and found one at the very corner in front of the small building labeled **Front Office**. She gathered her bag, and a small umbrella she had brought with her. It had been a birthday present from her grandmother when she turned fourteen and was decorated with tiny orchids. She brought her hand up to her throat to make sure the charmed owl necklace McGonagall gave her was still with her. She couldn't risk messing up on her American accent.

She entered the front office and was greeted by a red-haired woman who smiled when she spotted Hermione. "Hello, dear. How may I help you?"

"Hello, I'm Isabella Swan," Hermione said making sure not to slip up with the name.

The woman's face lit up with recognition, "Oh yes, of course. Here is your schedule," the woman showed Hermione the schedule and gave her a map of the school campus. She also gave her a paper that all her teachers had to sign and told her to bring it back at the end of the school day. Hermione thanked her and slipped out. She looked around a little before heading to her classroom. The school campus comprised of an array of smaller buildings; after spending so many years at Hogwarts, this school looked boring and lifeless though she could hardly blame them. Not for the first time she wondered what Harry and Ron were doing, both refused to go to Muggle school of course. It would be strange going to school without those two.

Her first class, she noticed, was AP Literature which brought a small smile to her face despite her feeling of loneliness. Starting the school day off with literature seemed like a good idea. She spotted the building labeled 3 and followed the herd of students entering through the arched doorway. Most of the other students were wearing raincoats and they hung them up on hooks attached to the wall of the small classroom. The teacher was named Mr. Mason and he seemed nice enough. He gave Hermione a list of books they would be reading that semester and she was glad to note she had read every one of them. Though she was always looking for excuses to re-read Charlotte Bronte novels or any of the Shakespeare plays.

From then on, the day went by normally enough. She kept an open eye to see if she could spot any of the Cullens but no such luck. A boy named Eric eagerly befriended her and showed her to some of her next classes. Another girl names Jessica seemingly appointed herself Hermione's new friend; Hermione didn't mind though, making new friends might take her mind off some things.

When lunch time came Jessica invited her to sit with her friends which Hermione willingly accepted. Another one of her friends, Angela, came and sat with them. Hermione sensed she was a bit shy but seemed very nice.

She hadn't spotted them right away but once she did, there was no mistaking them. The Cullen clan sat in the corner of the cafeteria distancing themselves from the general student populace. There were three boys and two girls, Hermione noted, and as expected, they were absolutely beautiful. She was also amused by seeing the trays of food in front of them when she knew they couldn't eat them.

"Oh, that's the Cullen family," Jessica quietly said to her when she noticed Hermione watching them, "They were all adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife. They're all together too as in _together_ together," and then she went to explain how Emmett Cullen was dating Rosalie Hale and how Alice Cullen was dating Jasper Hale. And just then Hermione felt someone jabbing at her mind and her body stiffened. She slammed up a wall in her mind using Occlumency. She glanced at the Cullen table again to see the youngest of the clan looking at her, _a mind reader_ she thought. Why did no one feel the need to inform her? She saw the boy with the reddish-brown hair frown and then whisper something quietly to his siblings. She knew their vampire breed often developed powers beyond the usual super strength and agility but she hadn't given much thought on what theirs might be if they had one. She was grateful she kept up her practice with Occlumency, she would have to thank McGonagall later for encouraging her to do so.

Hermione asked Jessica what his name was but she seemed to have gotten the wrong idea, "That's Edward. Don't get your hopes up though, apparently none of the girls here are good looking enough for him." Hermione smiled a little at that, if only she knew they could hear every word.

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 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: A big thank you to everyone who's reading!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the characters (as if you didn't know).**

* * *

After lunch, Angela showed her to her next class: Advanced Biology. Lucky for her, her parents being doctors meant she was quite caught up with muggle science. Her parents had always encouraged her to keep up with what she would be learning in a muggle school along with her wizardry.

This classroom was bigger than the previous ones she had been to. There were three rows of two seat tables. Angela went and sat down next to her lab partner after giving Hermione an encouraging smile. It didn't take long to realize why; the only empty chair was next to Edward's. Well… Hermione _did_ want to learn more about his kind. This was as good of an opportunity as any. She went and gave the little slip of paper to her teacher to sign first. He greeted her warmly and signed before pointing to the empty chair. Hermione thanked him before taking the seat.

Oddly enough, Edward visibly cringed the moment she sat down. He slowly slid to the very corner of his seat with his face turned slightly to the other side; his nose was scrunched up like he smelled something bad. How very strange. Hermione sneaked a glance with the corner of her left eye. He was looking her with his peripheral vision. She noticed his eyes were coal black. He must be very thirsty. Hmm… she had thought their clan would have more self control.

Oh of course! She remembered something she had learned in her Magical History class with Professor Binns. Magical blood appealed almost twice as much more to vampires than mere muggle blood. It was worse for some vampires than others. No wonder he looked like he was about to suffocate. Poor bloke, she thought, he didn't know how well she could defend herself. She put her bag on her lap and felt for her wand just in case things got out of control.

The class dragged on while the teacher, Mr. Banner, lectured on about the different cell structures. Edward still held the same posture as when she first sat down. She was feeling rather sorry for him. She wondered if she was permitted to tell them about the Magical world. It _was_ against Magical Law to tell others but they were magical creatures themselves were they not? She decided she would ask McGonagall or Kingsley later.

As soon as the bell rang, Edward darted across the floor way faster than humanly possible. Hermione internally sighed; he should really be more careful.

Oh well, time for her next class. Physical Education. She wondered what that was like. When she was younger, before attending Hogwarts, she went to a private institute where they didn't have P.E classes. And Hogwarts didn't need one. Another boy in the class, Mike, also had gym next and walked with Hermione. There was no need for that map after all. Everyone seemed eager to show her to her classes.

"What was the deal with Edward Cullen? He looked like you stabbed him in the eye or something."

Hermione chuckled, "I don't know, I never even spoke to him."

"Yeah, he's kind of weird like that," he said. He showed her where the girls' dressing room was before hurrying off to the boys' room. The gym teacher found Hermione a uniform and told her to dress down for class. They were to be playing volleyball.

Hermione had never really been a sports person. It wasn't that she was bad at it; she just preferred doing other things. And anyways the only sport Hogwarts offered was Quidditch, Hermione was terrified of heights.

The teacher, Coach Clapp, divided the class up into two teams. It took a while for Hermione to get used to the game but she rather enjoyed herself. She ended up scoring the winning point for her team which brought on a sense of pride. The teacher even complimented Hermione on her aim, "You should think about joining the official volleyball team," Coach Clapp told her. Hermione said she would think about it.

After class was over, Hermione headed back towards the front office building to turn in her slip of paper. The rain had stopped but it was still dark with thick clouds covering the sky and the wind sent a chill through her bones. She should have worn a sweater. When she opened the door to the office, she found the familiar sight of Edward's bronze hair standing at the desk, talking hurriedly to the administrator. She made sure her Occlumency walls were up before closing the door behind her. He was arguing with her to change his Biology period to some other time. Hermione kept herself from smiling. She couldn't wait to tell Harry and Ron about this. Was it mean that she was enjoying this so much?

Hermione noticed his posture stiffen as soon as he smelled her. He thanked the administrator angrily and left without a single word Hermione. She walked over to where Edward was standing a moment ago and gave the woman the piece of paper.

"Thank you dear, how was your day?"

"It was lovely," Hermione replied smiling. And it was.

* * *

After dinner, which Charlie had bought from a nearby restaurant, he retired early saying he had to go down to the police station early tomorrow morning. He bid her goodnight.

"Good night Charlie," Hermione said, "sweet dreams." She was getting rather fond of the man.

After he left, Hermione went over to the fireplace to fire message Harry and Ron. Only one day of school and she already missed those two pestering her for help with school work. She divided up the fire two ways so they could all talk together. Harry was getting along quite well with the sorcerers.

"They're even teaching me how to do wandless magic when they found out I couldn't do it," Harry said happily. "Look guys," he said. He raised his hand up and a watch flew towards him and hit him on his forehead. "Ooof!"

Hermione laughed. "It's a work in progress, alright 'Mione? I bet you're jealous I'm finally ahead of you in something."

Hermione laughed again. She slowly raised her palm up and all the pillows in the room flew up together before settling down exactly where they were before.

Harry frowned. "You are just mean, you know that Hermione?"

"Oh, stop showing off 'Mione, look at poor little Harry's face," Ron said teasing.

"Oh, alright," Hermione said. She had been teaching herself wandless magic over the summer after the war just to have something to focus on. "How are you holding up, Ron?"

"Well… potatoes might not be as bad as I thought. Do you know how much food you can make from them? Have you ever heard of anything like _potato salad?_ " Then Ron went on to explain the tens of recipes he had learned about over the past two days as Harry listened intently.

Hermione shook her head. What was it with boys and food? After he was finished, Hermione told the boys about the Cullens at school today; she told them what happened with Edward in Biology. They looked more worried than anything.

"Be careful around them, Hermione," Harry said.

"I think I can handle a few vampires, Harry. I should go. I told McGonagall I'll let her know how I'm doing," she told them.

"What?! She didn't tell me to let her know how _I'm_ doing," Ron said.

"Me either," Harry said.

"Yeah, way to play favorites," Ron said.

Hermione smiled cheekily. "Bye for now, love you both."

She ended the fire call and connected the fireplace to McGonagall instead. She found herself staring at the Hogwarts Headmaster's office; McGonagall was elected Headmaster of the school almost unanimously after the Battle.

"Hermione! Good to see you! How have you been doing?" McGonagall asked, concerned.

Hermione told her she was well and gave her a brief rundown of what was going on.

"Do you think I'm allowed to tell them about wizardry?" Hermione asked the older woman.

McGonagall furrowed her brows slightly, "I presume you can if you want to. I don't see a problem with it; it isn't like they can't keep a secret."

Hermione was relieved, "Thank you, Professor."

McGonagall also updated her on the Death Eater search. They haven't found anyone yet but both the Ministry and the Order of Phoenix were searching ferociously. Hermione wished she could help but McGonagall wouldn't hear any of it.

"I sent you there to stay out of this, Hermione."

Hermione smiled at her warmly. "I know, Professor, I know."

After she ended the chat, Hermione went back to her room where her Dreamless Potion was still brewing. She decided she would tell Edward the next day at school; that should ease him for the time being.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N- sorry for the lateness! It's been super busy. Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm borrowing.**

* * *

The next day, Hermione, awoke pleasantly to a good night's sleep. That was a rare privilege and she cherished dreamless sleep more than she ever thought she would. She headed for school early that day, not exactly hungry for breakfast though she did whip some pancakes up for Charlie. The weather outside was better than the previous day's; it was cloudy but a small amount of sunshine peeked through. It wasn't raining yet but it seemed like it would soon enough.

She parked her truck at the same spot as yesterday, in front of the Front Office building. She noticed the others' eyes were still lingering on her. Staring at the new girl didn't last just one day, she guessed. The day started off well enough. She talked to the same people as the day before. The teachers took an instant liking to her for which she was grateful. She had always been overly fond of her teachers.

As lunch came by, Hermione started to wonder what would be the right time to tell the Cullens. Her going over to their table unwelcome didn't seem like a great idea; it might look a bit suspicious and she didn't know how they would react to the news. To her surprise however, Edward Cullen did not show up. Was he hiding from her? Hermione was amused. His four siblings were at the same table; they should make more of an effort to blend in. She wondered if any of them also had a power like Edward; if they did, she was sure telepathy wasn't one of them. The one with the curly blonde hair, Jasper, noticed her staring and gave her a semi-glare. Hermione looked away. No need to unnecessarily make them suspicious.

She decided she would wait telling them. Just to see how it played out.

Mike walked with her to Biology class; Hermione had the desk to herself today. The rest of the day went by pretty fast. They played Volleyball again in P.E, Hermione's team won all three games.

After school, she decided to some grocery shopping. Charlie was out most of the day and didn't really have the time. He also couldn't cook. As she drove out of the parking lot, she noticed the four Cullen kids getting into their Volvo. The turned their heads towards Hermione as she drove by, she gave them a small smile as she passed. She didn't look back to see their reactions though.

At the grocery store, she wondered what she should get. She had the intense urge to call Mrs. Weasley. She could cook anything. She picked up some random vegetables and fruits and a few of those microwavable snacks that seem to be so popular. Honestly, those had no taste, but at-least they were easy to make.

When she got home, she unloaded the groceries into the various empty cupboards in the kitchen. She heard a sudden tap in the window and startled only to find a brown barn-owl staring at her. "Pig!" Hermione was happy to see Pigwidgeon, Ginny's owl. She remembered Harry had borrowed her for the time being; he couldn't bear to buy himself another owl after Hedwig. She opened the window and let the bird in.

"Oh, you poor thing," she said. The owl looked exhausted from the flight.

She untied the small piece of parchment from the owl's leg and uncoiled it. She immediately recognized the messy scribble.

 _ **Dear Hermione,**_

 _ **The trials for the Death Eaters have started. I'm going back to London for a few days to vouch for Narcissa Malfoy's case. She**_ **did** _ **save my life. I believe Luna is vouching for Draco; it seems as they had gotten close during her imprisonment at the Malfoy Manor. Most ironic thing I've heard in my life. Can't wait to see Ron's reaction. I am only writing to you because I know you'd worry and want to come with me. I will be perfectly fine, alright Mione? I'll floo as soon as I get back to America. You take care. And keep Pig until I get back, won't you?**_

 _ **Love, Harry**_

Hermione knew the trials had started two days before. She wasn't surprised that Harry wanted to witness for Narcissa. She was just a woman who fell in love with the wrong man. She also knew Luna would vouch for Draco; Luna had told her and Ginny how Draco wanted to help her. How he didn't identify Harry when they were caught because he wanted Luna and the others to escape. Hermione, by no means, forgave him but she had faith Luna knew what she was doing. And yes, admittedly, Ron's reaction would be rather funny.

Hermione was also unintentionally worried because of the runaway Death Eaters. Quite a few of them escaped after the Battle of Hogwarts. And with losing so many Order members, they still weren't fully functional to search for them thoroughly. And it was true that Harry would be the first person on their list to capture. She diverted her attention, Harry could take care of himself. He would be fine. She turned to the owl instead who was staring at her wide-eyed. "Come on, Pig, I'll take you to my room."

* * *

The next few days went by very quickly. Hermione fell into a routine. Charlie didn't mind having an owl around, he seemed quite excited over Pig, trying to feed her various snacks that the owl adamantly refused. Edward didn't show up that entire week. His siblings were there though which assured Hermione that nothing horrible had happened to him. He must have been very spooked to be gone for so long.

* * *

 **Sorry this one is so short. And I couldn't help but mention Druna in there, they're my Harry Potter OTP. Anyone else? No? Okay. Thank you to everyone who's reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks so much to all who have reviewed and favorited! A lot of the dialogue is taken straight from the book because I do want to keep the story similar to the original. Thanks again!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm borrowing.**

* * *

By the time Friday came by, Hermione was fairly certain Edward Cullen was not going to show up. She woke up the same time as usual and went through her morning routine. A look outside the window told her it was snowing. It wasn't sticking to the ground yet. Hermione gazed out the window pensively for a few minutes before continuing on. Snow held so many memories for her. Of Hogwarts and drinking warm tea at Hagrid's hut with Harry and Ron. Of camping during Christmas break with her parents. Of snowball fights on Hogsmeade weekends with Ginny and occasionally the Weasley twins. Of laughter, and friendship and hot chocolate.

She smiled sadly at the memories. It was unfortunate how her happiest memories are now always clouded with memories of war and sadness and fear. She couldn't remember Hagrid's hut without remembering how it had burned down to ashes and how Hagrid had almost burned down with it. She couldn't think of the twins without thinking of George who has become a mere shadow of himself since the death of his other half. She couldn't remember Hogwarts without remembering the destruction. The fire. She hadn't let Harry and Ron know how much the fiendfyre from the Room of Requirements affected her; she would never forget the fire. She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. This wasn't the time for a traumatic breakdown. Another deep breath. And then another. Until she felt calm enough to get in her truck and drive.

Outside the school, almost everyone was outside throwing snowballs or just chattering excitedly about the first snowfall of the season. Mike beckoned her to where he was standing, "Hey, Bella!"

Hermione trotted over there careful not to slip. "Hey," she replied back. She wasn't quite feeling herself yet since the reminiscing earlier.

"Do you like the snow?" he asked her.

Hermione sighed; she could never explain what snow meant to her. "No, not really. I'm going to go inside, okay?"

It seemed like he was about to offer to accompany her when a snowball hit him squarely in the head. He turned around to find his friend Eric running towards the other end of the campus. Hermione gave a small chuckle, "I will see you at lunch," she told him and scurried off.

The first few classes flew by. In Literature, their class had started reading Jane Eyre which was one of Hermione's absolute favorite novels but she wasn't able to pay as much attention as she generally did. Her thoughts kept drifting to the trials and how Harry was holding up. She wanted to be there for her best friend but she wasn't ready to go back just yet. But then again, neither was Harry.

For the rest of the day, she tried to think about her world as little as possible. By the time lunch came by Hermione was feeling better… less brooding at least. She entered the cafeteria with Jessica and Mike quickly caught up to them. She glanced at the Cullen clan out of habit now and froze for a second, Edward Cullen was back. She inwardly smiled, maybe today won't be so bad after all. She strengthened her Occlumency shield just in case.

"Bella?" Jessica called. She was waiting for her at the lunch line. Hermione uttered a quick apology and joined her at the line. But she wasn't at all hungry so she grabbed a soda pop.

She listened to her new friends half-heartedly. They were talking animatedly about the snow, and dating and classes; Hermione would be lying if she didn't say she was jealous of their carefree lives. She wondered, not for the first time, if breaking the news to the Cullens so soon would be a great idea. The aftermath of the war is still very apparent and the magical community only just started building itself back up again.

"Bella," Jessica said to her in a hushed tone breaking Hermione's train of though. "Don't look now, but Edward Cullen is staring at you."

"It's probably the whole new girl thing," Hermione shrugged her off. "Everyone stares."

Jessica seemed like she was going to contradict her when Mike interrupted them with his plans of an epic snowball fight after school. Hermione was glad for the intrusion. Edward was most likely wondering why he couldn't read her mind. Jessica agreed to it immediately; it was quite obvious she really liked Mike. Hermione politely declined, "No, sorry. I'm not feeling very well today."

Hermione walked to the other building alone. Snowballs were still being thrown about and she tried to clear her way as quickly as possible.

She was one of the first to reach the classroom; her teacher, Mr. Banner was handing out microscopes and slides to each table. Conversations started as more students came piling in.

"If even a little bit of snow comes in the classroom you will be out," Mr. Banner warned a group of boys lingering at the door with snowballs. Hermione smiled; he sounded a bit like McGonagall just then.

Hermione felt the chair next to her move before she saw the young Draekanae. She didn't glance at him yet. She could feel his mind trying to get past her Occlumency barriers though he might not have been aware of it. Hermione gave her beaded purse a small squeeze for assurance.

"Hello," he quietly said.

Hermione looked up at him watching her. He was beautiful, of course, that was to be expected. His hair was messy but not messy like Harry's always is but like it was meant to be worn that way. He wore a friendly smile.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan."

Hermione would have snorted if it weren't for her guise. He was being unnaturally polite. Maybe he thought he scared her last week with his… well… _episode_ for the lack of a better word.

"Hello," Hermione replied back. "Yes, you're right. I'm Bella."

Neither said anything after that but Mr. Banner started the class soon enough. They were to separate each the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis. Hermione was relieved that the topic was something she actually had previous knowledge on. Now _that_ particular memory included her thirteen year old self getting _The Talk_ from her medical based parents. Albeit they were both dentists but her mom had a deep interest in biology and anatomy.

"Ladies first, partner?" Edward asked motioning the microscope to her direction.

Hermione nodded and took the gadget. She wasn't quite so used to handling scientific equipment by hand though she used to play with her mom's old microscope. She caught up quickly and slid the first slide into the little slot. "I believed that's prophase," she told him.

"Do you mind if I look?" he asked as Hermione was sliding her hand away. He went to stop her and his stone cold hand took her by surprise. She wasn't surprised by the coldness but by the little shiver that ran down her hand. She wasn't sure if that was normal.

Edward muttered an apology as he continued to drag the microscope to his end of the table. "Prophase," he agreed confidently. He probably took this course countless times. He then switched it out with the second slide and examined it. "Anaphase," he said.

Hermione smiled, "May I?" Though she was certain he was right.

He slid the microscope towards her. After examining it for three seconds she nodded. They did the same back and forth for the next few slides. They finished before the rest of the class. Hermione could feel Edward's stare, he was unintentionally trying to break her mind barriers again. She looked up at him and felt his mind ease off. She noticed that his eyes were a golden color now, not the pitch black they were the first time she saw him. He must have been hunting for the past few days. "Your eye color is nice," she said and immediately thought that was a bad idea.

Edward looked confused but the look quickly passed, "Thank you."

Mr. Banner trotted towards their table just then and asked if Edward let Bella do anything.

"She actually identified three of the five," he replied.

Mr. Banner looked at her, "That's quite impressive, Miss Swan."

Hermione smiled, "Thank you."

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" Edward asked. Hermione had a feeling he was only asking because he noticed her trying to avoid snow all day. "You don't like the cold?"

"No, it just…" Hermione didn't know how to explain; she shook her head, "it's complicated."

"I think I can keep up," he pressed.

Hermione shook her head again, "Maybe I'll tell you about it someday."

Edward nodded understanding. "I'll be here to listen."

Hermione decided he wasn't so bad.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm borrowing.**

* * *

The next day Hermione was awoken by small knocks on her window. She hurried to let the small barn owl in. She didn't recognize it; so much for being in hiding if anyone could track her with an owl. She quickly glanced out the window praying the owl was being inconspicuous. Pig had also woken up and the barn owl flew over to the other owl probably needing some avian company. Hermione noted with amusement that the small owl started pecking Pig who stood there looking mildly annoyed. Hermione examined the letter addressed to her and immediately recognized the handwriting.

 ** _Hermione,_**

 ** _There's so much to tell you. I hope you are well. We are doing as well as can be expected as of now. There's so much happening right now, I don't know how to go about it. George is still not doing very well unfortunately. But we_** **did** ** _get him to eat those dishes of potatoes Ron keeps sending us. Surprisingly enough, Percy has been the one holding us together._**

 ** _Harry arrived at the Burrow yesterday and he's alright; I know you're worried about him. I'll take care of him for the both of us for now. I want to see you soon Hermione if it can be arranged._**

 ** _Take care of yourself. We all miss you._**

 ** _Love, Ginny_**

Hermione smiled sadly while neatly re-folding the letter. She missed the Weasleys too and a big part of her wished she could be there helping them. But she also knew they needed to heal as a family first before anything. She was glad Ginny and Harry were reunited again be it for only two days. She was feeling nostalgic and not for the first time.

She sent a quick letter to Ginny asking if she would like to meet in two weeks. They could meet at Seattle. It was close enough that Hermione could reach it quickly even without magic if need be and crowded enough that even if someone Magical saw her, she would be hard to recognize in the midst of others. She gave the letter to the barn owl who seemed reluctant to be separated from its new owl friend. Pig on the other hand looked wildly relieved.

* * *

Charlie had already left for work. Hermione quickly ate a bowl of cereal. It was getting late so she made her cup of tea with magic and enchanted her cup to keep it warm so she could drink it on the way to school.

Outside, she found their driveway and her truck completely covered in hard ice. She hurried over to the truck before memories of snow flooded her again as it did the day before. She was accustomed to walking on ice but she almost slipped a few times. Hmm… she thought… maybe there was something different about American ice. Okay, now she was just being ridiculous.

She charmed her tires to be steady on the road; the last thing she needed was a car accident. As she pulled up at the parking lot, her usual parking spot had been taken so she instead parked towards the end of the middle row. Stepping out of the truck, she remembered she hadn't finished her tea yet. Hating to waste food, she turned back around to get the cup out of the small dispenser of the truck.

At that exact moment, she heard a high-pitched screech getting louder by the minute. She snapped around to see a blue van skidding towards her at full speed. In those few seconds she noticed the horror written in the faces of the others around her, including the Cullens who were a few cars down from her. Pulling her wand out in front of all the muggles would cause some serious trouble. She made a split second decision of using wandless magic to turn the tires around of the van just to the side of her so it would look natural. Before she had a chance to do so, however, she was hit hard from the side and a solid figure pinned her to the ground.

"Bloody hell," she muttered under her breath trying to sit up with no avail. Edward Cullen held her down, and as Hermione noticed with dismay, the van was skidding towards them again. Hermione was about to try and cast a charm on the tires again when Edward shot his hand up and stopped the truck with his hand. Hermione looked to him in a frustrated manner which seemed to confuse him. Then she lolled her head back to the ground. That dent was going to require one hell of an explanation. Seems like trouble always followed more than just Harry Potter.

A brief glance at the Cullens told her they were not entirely pleased with what happened either. Hermione could fix the dent but that would also require a great deal of explaining. And some people had already seen it, she couldn't just Obliviate them all.

She cursed the vampire in her mind. Why was it that everyone she associated with had some sort of hero-complex? Though admittedly, a small part of her was flattered he thought saving her was worth the trouble.

* * *

Hermione thought it would be easier for the both of them if she just pretended to have fainted. An ambulance arrived soon and loaded her into the back on a stretcher. Edward got to ride in the front with the driver.

Once in the hospital, they put her in the emergency bed. Seeing that it was a very small town, she was the lone occupant. At least until Tyler, the guy who was driving the blue van, was brought into the room. He seemed to be very injured but the first thing he did was apologize.

"I'm so sorry, Bella."

"It wasn't your fault, Tyler. Are you alright?"

"I thought you were going to die, I was going too fast and the car started slipping…"

"Seriously Tyler, I'm alright. Edward Cullen was standing close and pushed me out of the way," she assured him.

"Oh, I didn't even see him," he said, "good thing he was there."

Hermione nodded which seemed to put him at peace. On the other hand, her life just got even more complicated. She closed his eyes wondering how she should break the news to poor Charlie. But then again, he _was_ the sheriff; he might have already been informed.

"Is she sleeping?" Edward's voice rang through the door.

Hermione opened her eyes and sent him a glare. "When can I leave?" she asked.

"Soon enough, Miss Swan," another voice said from behind Edward in a beautiful voice. Dr. Cullen walked into the room closer to her. He looked very young and looked absolutely striking. So this was the vampire doctor she had heard about. She was very impressed by him, and Edward for that matter, to stand so close to a bloodied Tyler and act completely normal. "How are you feeling?"

Hermione gave him what she hoped looked like a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, really," she said.

Dr. Cullen examined the X-Rays on the far side of the wall and decided she didn't have a concussion. He then probed lightly on Hermione's skull in case the scans missed something.

"Does it feel tender?" he asked.

"No," Hermione said. She'd been through a lot worse.

"Well, your father is in the waiting room. You can go home with him now but come back if you feel nauseated or have trouble with your vision."

Hermione felt guilty for poor Charlie now; she was intending on not being any extra hassle to him.

"You were extremely lucky," Dr. Cullen said, smiling.

Hermione smiled back, "I'm glad your son was standing right there as well," she said, then glanced at Edward whose stance stiffened.

"Oh, yes, you're right," Dr. Cullen said looking down at some papers, avoiding eye contact. It would've been funny if she didn't feel bad for his dilemma. If Tyler hadn't been there, she was sure she would have told them the truth right then. Telling them sooner would have avoided this whole mess.

She looked at Edward, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked quietly. She wasn't sure herself what she wanted to tell him.

"Your father is waiting for you," he whispered back.

"It won't take long," she said.

He glared at her coolly and started walking out the room and into a small hallway.

"What do you want?" he sounded annoyed.

Hermione thought nothing of the misdemeanor; she understood how unsettling this must be for him. She racked her mind trying to come up with what she should say. She looked up at him, at his bronze eyes, and she saw his eyes soften. And for the first time in a long while, Hermione felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach. _Butterflies?_ Really? Oh, bloody hell, she cursed for the second time that day.

"Bella?" Edward looked at her, worried now; his cold heartedness seemed to vanish.

Hermione let out a deep breath. She couldn't tell him. Not yet. "Thanks," she said.

Edward looked perplexed, he was most likely anticipating an argument or her demanding an explanation. He nodded, "No problem." He turned around and walked out.

Hermione stood there, staring at the receding silhouette. She couldn't believe herself. Did she actually _fancy_ a vampire? Hermione Jean Granger, the smartest witch of her age, a third of the Golden Trio, fancied a vampire. Now that was a Daily Prophet headline for you. It would _never_ work out. It just wouldn't.

It took Hermione a few more moments until she composed herself enough to confront Charlie.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm borrowing.**

 **A/N- I apologize for being absent for so long. I started this story mostly on a whim during summer vacation and now with school back up, I don't know how often I will be able to update. I also don't know if I'll write everything that is in the book but I'll try to give this a concrete conclusion. Thank you for sticking with this.**

* * *

Hermione smiled fondly at Charlie who would not stop fondling over her. Charlie had ordered chicken soup from a nearby restaurant for her and told her, in a very parental manner, to finish off the entire bowl. He had also ordered her to stay in bed for the day, bringing her food up to her room. "Honestly Charlie, I have handled much worse," she continuously told him.

"None of that, Hermione, you are supposed to be on a quiet vacation here, not be crushed by cars. Now what would McGonagall say if something happened to you on my watch?"

Hermione shook her head, "there wasn't any chance of me getting hurt," she reassured him, "I always have my wand with me."

"I don't care if you have a cavalry with you, right now you're my responsibility."

Hermione relented and finished the soup off; it was quite good.

"Oh, and your two friends have been fire messaging the living room every half hour asking how you're doing."

Hermione sighed. It was going to be a long day.

It took her over an hour to convince Harry and Ron that she did not need to go to St. Mungo's. And another hour to convince them they did not need to come to Forks to see to her well-being. "I wasn't even hurt!"

In the end, she disconnected, telling them she will call soon.

* * *

The next day at school, _the accident_ was what everyone was talking about. Almost everyone in school came up to Hermione and asked how she was doing; she tried to answer them politely but eventually she was starting to be irritated. She was used to attention but that didn't mean she liked it. Why people _chose_ to be celebrities, she had no idea.

She let Tyler, who insisted on following her around that day, walk her to Biology filling the conversation with mindless chatter. Truth was, she was starting to dread seeing Edward again. What if what she felt before was not an anomaly? She couldn't get mixed up in emotions here; she didn't know how much longer she would be staying. She was planning on starting the search for her parents as soon as McGonagall gave her the go.

"Bella? We're here, you know," Hermione's mind snapped back to reality as she processed Tyler's word. They were standing in front of her Biology class, for quite some time now as it would seem.

"Oh, sorry," she said, "I was just thinking about something."

"Sure, no problem."

Edward was already sitting there, staring ahead at the whiteboard. He didn't move a muscle as Hermione sat down next to him. "Hello, Edward," she greeted politely.

He turned towards her and said hello back. He turned back as quickly to the whiteboard just as quickly. Hermione noted how he stopped breathing for a few moments before realizing what he had done and starting back up. She wondered if he still wasn't used to her smell; she _could_ try to disguise it with a spell but that would only seem suspicious now.

The next few days continued with the same routine. Edward and her would only exchange a greeting at the beginning of class and sometimes, a goodbye at the end. She didn't push him.

Much to her dilemma, their brief conversations seemed to encourage Mike to pursue her more adamantly. He was always trying to catch her attention in the morning or in between classes. As much as she hated to admit it, it was almost _flattering_ in a way. She never received this much attention at Hogwarts, but that probably had to do more with the fact that she only ever spent time with Harry and Ron or alone.

The girls' choice spring dance was to be held two weeks later. That little factoid popped into her brain in Biology as she saw Mike making his way towards her, looking uncomfortable. She remembered Jessica telling her she was going to ask him to the dance, he must have said no. Her theory was confirmed when he asked her himself.

Hermione smiled at him sadly, "Mike, I think you should say yes to Jessica."

"Did you already ask someone?" he asked. Hermione noticed Edward turning his head slightly. _Someone's enjoying this,_ Hermione thought.

"No actually, I'm going to Seattle that weekend. I'm sorry." She told him. It was true, she had agreed to meet Ginny at Seattle that Saturday. Mike trotted back to his seat, disappointed. She felt rather guilty after that. Edward on the other hand seemed more curious than anything.

After class, Hermione heard a soft, "Bella?"

Hermione glanced at the young vampire, "Are we speaking again?" she raised her eyebrow.

He gave her half a smile, "No, not really," he said.

"Then?" Hermione asked, curious.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm being rude but this it's better this way. Really." Oh, so that's why he wasn't speaking to her. He thought he was _saving_ her, in a more metaphoric sense. "It's better if we're not friends," he continued.

Hermione didn't let her amusement show; the words of an angst-ridden teenager, because he _really_ was a teenager at heart, wasn't he? In many ways, Hermione was a lot older than him. "I think you're wrong," she told him honestly.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This story has gotten so many follows and favorites; thank you guys so much! I hope you guys keep reading even though I'm really bad at updating frequently.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm borrowing.**

* * *

Back at home, Hermione took a deep breath of relief. It had been a long week. Charlie wasn't back yet; to keep her mind occupied, she decided she would try to cook something. Without magic. Behind her, she heard a familiar flutter of wings. "What have you got there, Pig?" Hermione asked the barn owl as he settled down on the kitchen counter. A small scroll of paper was attached to his right foot. Hermione smiled instantly at the illegible scrawling on the note. Harry must have sent it in with another owl.

 _ **Dear Hermione,**_

 _ **You can stop worrying now. I'm back, in one piece. We've got owls here though so keep Pig if you want to, you might need him. Loads to tell you two. Floo today?**_

 _ **Love, Harry**_

Hermione breathed another sigh of relief. Harry was back from the trials so it must not have been too bad. She had heard from McGonagall that most of the death eaters were imprisoned in Azkaban, excluding Narcissa and Draco Malfoy who were vouched for by Harry and Luna respectively. The few who escaped are still being searched for. McGonagall still hasn't given her the go to search for her parents, which she supposed was for the best. She wouldn't want to risk bringing her parents back to England until they were sure it was safe. And there's also that sinking feeling of doubt in her mind that kept bringing itself up: what if their memories were irreversible?

Hermione shook her thoughts off. No time for pessimism now.

* * *

Hermione soon gave up trying to cook something without magic and whipped up some chicken roast with her wand. The smell of a home cooked meal seemed to surprise Charlie a great deal.

"Hermione! I thought I told you to rest?"

Hermione smiled, "I have had enough rest, Charlie, really. Here, try some," she gestured to the food.

They ate in silence for the most part, not an awkward one though. It was quite comforting to Hermione. She told him her plan to meet Ginny in Seattle next Saturday.

"Are you sure? And all by yourself?" Charlie asked, concerned.

"I'm sure I can manage," Hermione said.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked in a paternal manner, sending a pang through her chest. That's exactly what her father would've said.

"No, no. I'll be fine. I was planning on apparating some of the way anyway. I'll be fine."

"If you say so." Then, as an after note, he added, "You know there's a dance at the school on Saturday, don't you?"

Hermione was surprised he knew about it, "I do. But dances are the least of my worries right now."

Charlie nodded, understanding. Hermione had told him about her parents the week before when he saw a potion brooming in her room. She had started making a locating potion to use when she goes to search for them; she wanted to be fully prepared for when McGonagall gave the signal. Charlie had been very sympathetic and asked if he could do anything to help, which there wasn't but Hermione appreciated the gesture.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke up dreamlessly. Not wanting to go through the gesture of getting ready, she flashed some clothes on with her wand. Magic is honestly a time saver. Charlie was still sleeping when she headed out.

Surprisingly, she found an empty parking spot right beside the infamous silver Volvo belonging to the Cullens. Unexpectedly, Edward appeared in front of her truck as soon as she parked it. She had expected him to avoid her for a few weeks. Hermione smiled internally, he really was quite amusing. He opened her truck's door for her before she had the chance, "Bella," he nodded.

Hermione smiled, "I thought you didn't want to be friends," she replied.

"No, I said it's _better_ if we're not friends. I didn't say I didn't _want_ to be friends."

Hermione scrunched her eyebrows; wasn't he quite the charmer. "You are strange," she replied.

Edward chuckled, "You are stranger."

Hermione didn't doubt that for a bit. "So… is there a reason why you wanted to be friends?"

Edward was staring at her and she felt him trying to nudge her thoughts, she tightened her Occlumency shield a little more. It was apparent that he relied a lot on his ability to read people's minds; he seemed at a loss of words right then. "You are… intriguing," he finally replied.

"Why, thank you."

"So, I heard you were going to Seattle on the Saturday of the dance," Edward started. He sounded nervous. Almost jittery.

"Yes," Hermione answered.

"How about a ride?"

She raised her eyebrows, "You're offering me a ride?"

"I'm doing you a favor. It doesn't seem like your poor truck can take it."

She didn't know what to say. She was planning on apparating some of the way. And going with him might defeat the whole purpose of trying to stay hidden while meeting Ginny. And there was also the obvious question: was he asking her out? She needed some time to think through this. "How about I give you an answer later?"

"Alright," he agreed. It seemed like he wanted to add something but thought better of it; he gave her a small smile, "I'll see you later."

Hermione watched his silhouette slowly recede; sometimes, she wished she could read minds too.

* * *

Hermione had been waiting for her friends in front of the fireplace for almost half an hour. Just as she was about to leave, thinking the boys forgot about the floo, Ron's face popped up. His cheeks looked bright red and his hair was parted in all the wrong directions. Seeing that Harry wasn't there yet and it was only her, his face flushed even more. "Hey, 'Mione," he said, looking down so his head looked like he was watching the firewood.

"Hello," Hermione replied, cheerfully. She had a feeling she knew what was going on. "Where have you been?"

Ron stuttered, "Err… I was… you know… potatoes."

Hermione smiled. "Ronald, you are a horrid liar."

Ron looked up hesitantly; he looked almost shy, she noted.

Hermione shook her head. She would tease him but the poor bloke seemed utterly clueless. "What's her name?" she asked, softly.

Ron looked unsure of what to say; he probably decided to just go with the truth, "Naya."

"Pretty," she said.

"Hermione…" Ron started.

Hermione smiled again. "It's alright, _really._ " She was genuinely happy for him. She was in no position to judge after all, she was going through a crush herself. If it can even be called a crush. "Tell me about her."

And so he did. Naya was a witch, a daughter of one of the dragon trainers Ron was living with. She had a natural talent with the dragons and had taken him out to ride one of the tamed ones. Hermione listened intently, Ron seemed happier than before.

Harry joined the two of them after a few minutes. Ron was the first to speak, "Why the bloody hell were you so late when you called the meeting in the first place?"

Harry's eyes looked puffy from exhaustion, "I fell asleep." He yawned right afterwards as to prove his point.

"What did you want to tell us?" she asked.

Harry's face changed to a more grim expression. He seemed to look straight at her. "It's Greyback."

Hermione's breath caught, there are very few people she hated more than Greyback. No, not people, a better term would be _monster_. "What about him?"

Harry let out a breath, "They never caught him," he said, "They're trying to keep it under wraps now to avoid causing widespread panic," he paused and then started again, "but he's not in Azkaban."

Ron let out a mouth full of curses. "Any clue as to where he is?"

Harry shook his head, "The Aurors, or what is remained of them, are searching. But he's had years of experience hiding out in the woods, catching him won't be easy."

Hermione noticed the gears going around Harry's head, his face was easy to read. "No! Harry James Potter, you will not do something so stupid like trying to go after him!"

Ron agreed, "She's absolutely right, mate. We're in hiding for a reason."

"I know, I know," Harry replied, "I wasn't going to, I promise. But he'll come after us," he said with certainty.

"We know he'll come after us, Harry, we're smarter than we look," Ron said.

Both Harry and Hermione chuckled. "Look out for yourselves, alright? You both defeated him in the Battle of Hogwarts once, he won't forget that."

Hermione remembered; she had incapacitated him with a blasting spell when he was moving to bite Lavender Brown.

"Look out for yourself," Ron scoffed, "Never done _that_ before."

Harry looked unamused.

"Everything will be fine, Harry, we'll get through it. We always do." Hermione assured.

The two boys agreed, because it was true, wasn't it. They _did_ always get through; that was their specialty.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: It's been a while, I know. Thank you again to everyone who follows this story!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm borrowing.**

* * *

" _Come on, honey. You can do it." Hermione's mum's voice rang from the other side of the swimming pool as Hermione tried her hardest to remember what the instructor said about pedaling with your hands and feet. She was the last one of the girls in her swimming class who couldn't figure it out. Hermione was_ VERY _frustrated. So much that she went home yesterday and looked up synonyms of the word_ "annoyed" _in the big dictionary her Dad had given her as a sixth birthday present. She had found the most beautiful word:_ frustrated.

 _Hermione didn't like being last. She never had and she didn't think she ever will. So she asked her mum to take her down to the swimming pool for extra practice. "Just five more feet little Minny," her mum's voice rang again._

 _She tried pedaling harder but this time, she ended up moving backwards. Now she was extremely frustrated. This was never going to work! She raised her hands and brought them down next to her, splashing water on her already wet self._

" _I'm done, Mum. Get me out of here." Hermione told her mum. She just wanted to go home, curl up against the fireplace and read_ Matilda _again._

 _Her mum only smiled. "Get yourself out, sweety. I'll be right here and I won't let anything happen to you."_

 _Hermione sighed. Her mum would be no help. But her mum believed in her, which_ must _mean Hermione could swim to the end. Her mum_ was _the smartest person in the world. Hermione stared at the water. And then she put her hands forward and did the butterfly gesture her swimming instructor taught them. She wasn't doing anything different from before except concentrating on the water but she felt herself moving! Fast!_

 _Her mum smiled at her huge as she reached out into the pool and pulled her up. "See, honey? I knew you'd come to me."_

Hermione woke with a start and immediately wanted to go back to the pleasantness of reliving the dream, not the hollowness of the memory years afterwards. She wondered if something went wrong with her Dreamless potion, maybe she should have made it stronger. She had almost forgotten about the swimming incident. That was her first time using accidental magic though at the time, she was certain it was a side-effect of reading _Matilda._

Thoughts of her mum brought shadows of tears to her eyes. She would give up the world for the chance to give her mother a hug. "I _will_ come to you, Mum," Hermione said out loud to the air and the silhouette of a sleeping Pigwidgeon.

Hermione went through the motions of getting ready for school. She fell into a monotonous routine, doing everything by hand to distract herself.

Charlie had already left for work, but he had left her microwavable pancakes and some cold syrup. Hermione's lips twitched upwards into a small smile at his sentimentality. That was very sweet of him. She was reminded oddly of Molly whom she missed almost as dearly as her mum.

* * *

In school, her classes went by in a blur with her giving just the amount of concentration that was needed to avoid extra attention. Her thoughts kept wandering to her dream. Could it have meant something? She was skeptical; she never believed in Divination. She would have to purchase more Valerian sprigs to make her Dreamless Potion stronger. Maybe she could ask McGonagall to send her some? But that would only garner unnecessary questions and worries from her. Maybe she would ask Ginny to bring her some. And then she remembered Edward's offer to drive her to Seattle. She knew she would have to say no because she didn't know how she would sway him off once they got there so she could meet with Ginny. Maybe some other time, she would say.

At lunch, Hermione sat beside Jessica and Angela who were chatting about what dresses they would buy for the dance. Hermione had never been good at girl talk; she found it trying and inessential. Nevertheless, she tried to pitch in whenever relevant in case the girls started to wonder whether something was off.

Before long, while Hermione was off in her head somewhere, Jessica brought to her attention that Edward was staring at her. When Hermione turned around to get a look, he caught her eye and motioned for her to join him. He was sitting alone. She wondered where his clan was. Or family, she corrected herself. The Cullens seemed like they were very fond of one another. With an encouraging smile from Angela, Hermione excused herself from the table and slowly walked over.

"Are we friends again today?" Hermione asked with a small smile.

Edward returned her smile, "One more day couldn't cause any more damage, I figured."

Hermione let out a breath of laughter, "Admirable decision," she said.

Edward quietly stared at her for a few moments and Hermione didn't offer any conversation either. She wondered what he was thinking. Would now be a good time to tell him about her? She was determined to tell the Cullens about wizardry but now she wondered if that would only put them in unnecessary danger. Especially now that she knows Greyback is on the loose.

"Can I ask you something?" He broke the silence.

"Sure?" Hermione said though it sounded more like a question.

"You look sad. Will you tell me why?" Hermione was surprised by his comment. Maybe he _didn't_ always rely on his power to read people.

Instead of answering, Hermione said, "Can I ask _you_ something?"

"Sure?" He replied the same way she had.

"You also look sad. Will you tell _me_ why?"

Edward smiled and so did she. "Truce, then?"

Hermione nodded. "Truce."

He changed the subject, "Aren't you hungry?" He looked to her tray which only consisted of chocolate milk and an apple.

"No, I'm not," she replied. She wasn't accustomed to eating Forks High's food yet; she always compared it to Hogwarts' luxurious meals. She pointed at the empty table in front of him and asked, "Aren't you?" She really just wanted to hear what his answer would be.

"No, I'm not hungry either," he said with humor. Hermione controlled her expression as to not give away her amusement.

The bell to transit to the next class rung then. Hermione stood up and frowned when Edward didn't. "Aren't you coming to Biology?"

"It's healthy to ditch class now and then," he said.

Hermione scowled but moved on on her own. It was only when she reached Biology did she understand what he meant. As she sat down on her table, Mr. Banner started handing out blood indicator kits so the students could find out what their blood type was. Hermione began to panic a little. She couldn't give her blood sample to Mr. Banner. The death eaters had a way of tracking muggle-born blood once out of a witch or wizard's body. Giving a sample of her blood would make her location known to any wizard who wants to track her.

Hermione went through scenarios in her head until she landed on one that would be most efficient. Sometimes, playing a damsel in distress might be the best way to go. Hermione started heavily breathing through her mouth so it seemed like she was struggling. Mr. Banner looked to her, concerned, "Bella, are you alright?" Hermione closed her eyes for emphasis. "Are you feeling faint?"

Mr. Banner called for someone to take her to the nurse's office and Mike immediately offered. Hermione leaned against him as they walked out of the classroom. As soon as they were out of Mr. Banner's sight, in case he was watching, she asked Mike to stop. They were on the sidewalk in front of building two. She sat down and closed her eyes again while Mike hovered around her, not knowing what to do with himself.

How would she get rid of him now? Hermione didn't want to go to the nursing office in case the nurse wanted to check her medical records. She had never asked McGonagall if they created fake medical records for her and she didn't want to risk it without knowing for certain. She mentally cursed herself for not knowing about the blood drive beforehand.

Almost like an answer to her prayer, Edward suddenly appeared out of nowhere, "Is she okay? Bella?" Hermione sighed a breath of relief when Edward convinced Mike he would take her to the nursing office. Mike reluctantly stormed off muttering curses in between his breath.

Hermione looked to him, "You're right. It _is_ healthy to ditch sometimes," she said. A sentence she didn't think she would ever say.

"I usually am," he said cockily. "So you faint at the sight of blood?" He asked. He seemed entertained.

Instead of answering, Hermione stood up and started walking towards the parking lot.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked. "What about the nurse?"

"I'm good. I just need to go home."

"I'll drop you off then. You shouldn't drive in your condition."

"I'm okay, really," she said. "And what about my truck?"

"I'll have Alice drop your truck off after school."

Hermione hesitated.

"Please?" He added when she wasn't answering.

Hermione took a deep breath, "Sure."

* * *

Music started playing as soon as she got in the Volvo and Hermione was immediately reminded of her mother for the second time that day. " _Four Seasons?_ "

Edward looked surprised she recognized it, "You like Vivaldi?"

Hermione nodded. Hermione's mum always played music when she cooked. During the summer, Hermione always sat with her at the countertop reading a book while listening to her mum hum with the music that played. "My mother always played classical music around the house. Vivaldi is probably my favorite."

Edward stared out the window, "He's one of my favorites too."

They sat in silence for a while. Hermione noted that it was a comforting silence, not an awkward one. "What is your mother like?" Edward asked.

Hermione thought about it. "My mother… she's my role model. She is wonderful and determined and she has always believed in me. She's one of my best friends."

"You miss her a lot, don't you?"

More than you can imagine, she thought but didn't say. "Yes," she replied, "though I hope she's happy where she is."

"How old are you, Bella?" He asked.

Strange question. "Seventeen," she said.

"You don't seem seventeen." Hermione couldn't agree more. She hadn't felt young in a long time.

"Neither do you."

If that answer surprised him, he didn't let it show. Soon, he was pulling up his car into Charlie's driveway.


End file.
